THE STORY OF COCOA

HOW COCOA GOES FROM THIS...

...AND BECOMES THIS

STEP ONE:

HARVESTING

• Harvest is the first step, and the harvest of ripe cocoa pods happens twice a year, the timing varying region to region.
• The process of making the chocolate begins straight away.
• Machetes are used to cut the pods open, and then the white pulp that contains the cocoa beans is scooped out.
• It is harvested from an evergreen tree native to the tropical region of the Americas.

STEP TWO

FERMENTING

• The pulp and pod are taken and placed into large wooden containers.
• They are left there to ferment for around five days.
• During this time, the beans are turned around for a more even fermentation.
• This is the process that start the developing of the flavor.

STEP THREE

DRYING

• After fermentation, the next step in the process is to dry the beans.
• This can be done by spreading them out in the sun.
• They have to be completely dried, because after this they are packed to be shipped around the world. If they are wet, they will turn moldy on the way.

STEP FOUR

ROASTING

• This next step in the process is usually done by the ch